2/25 Wolf eel, microplastics, BC LNG, whale hunt, carbon pricing, Teck pullout, Alaska ferry, toilet race, Hawaiian Chieftain

Wolf eel [Seattle Aquarium]

Wolf eel Anarrhichthys ocellatus
Wolf eels aren’t eels at all—they’re fish, and not the same as true eels. One key distinction is that wolf eels have pectoral fins behind their heads, which is characteristic of fish, not marine eels like morays...Adult wolf eels prefer enclosed spaces. They make their homes in dens—caves or crevices on rocky reefs or pilings (sometimes competing with octopuses for a desirable living space!)...Wolf eels may mate for life, and both male and female care for eggs as they develop. (Seattle Aquarium)

Scientists Gather In The PNW To Study Risks Of Microplastic Pollution
Tiny bits of broken-down plastic smaller than a fraction of a grain of rice are turning up everywhere in oceans, from the water to the guts of fish and the poop of sea otters and giant killer whales. Yet little is known about the effects of these “microplastics” — on sea creatures or humans...This week, a group of five-dozen microplastics researchers from major universities, government agencies, tribes, aquariums, environmental groups and even water sanitation districts across the U.S. West is gathering in Bremerton, Washington, to tackle the issue. The goal is to create a mathematical risk assessment for microplastic pollution in the region similar to predictions used to game out responses to major natural disasters such as earthquakes. Gillian Flaccus reports. (Associated Press)

Hereditary chiefs, protesters arrested at rail blockade in northern B.C., say witnesses
Several people, including at least two hereditary chiefs, were arrested at a railway blockade in northern B.C. Monday evening, according to witnesses. Members of the Gitxsan Nation set up the blockade near New Hazelton, north of Smithers, B.C., mid-afternoon, less than two weeks after a similar blockade at that site was dismantled on the promise of dialogue from federal and provincial politicians. Clare Hennig reports. (CBC)

As Makah press for new waiver to resume the whale hunt, public is invited to comment 
A little less than a month remains for public comment on a proposal to allow the Makah Indian Tribe to resume its hunt for gray whales. The Makah have been waiting for decades to exercise their treaty right to whaling, which is codified in the 1855 Treaty of Neah Bay. They resumed their hunt briefly in the spring of 1999, taking one whale, but then stopped because of international lawsuits. Now they're asking to take roughly two to three whales per year over the next decade, in Washington's coastal waters. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

Federal carbon pricing law unconstitutional, Alberta Court of Appeal rules
The federal government's carbon tax has been ruled unconstitutional by the Court of Appeal of Alberta, on the grounds that it intrudes on provincial jurisdiction.  The 4-1 decision, released Monday, rejects Ottawa's argument that regulation of greenhouse gas emissions is an issue of national concern, citing the division of powers in the constitution that gives the provinces responsibility for non-renewal resources. The majority opinion called the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act "a constitutional Trojan horse" and that the national concern doctrine "is not a grand entrance hall into every head of provincial power." Michelle Bellefontaine reports. (CBC) 

Winners and losers from Teck's decision to pull the plug on Frontier oilsands project
The federal government had signalled this was the week cabinet would decide whether to approve, reject or delay the massive $20.6-billion Frontier oilsands mine north of Fort McMurray, Alta., but just days before the decision came down, even those who followed the project still didn't know which way it would go. Kyle Bakx reports. (CBC)

Steep budget cuts left Alaska with only one operating mainline ferry. Then it broke down.
A 30 percent budget cut imposed on the ferry system last year and unforeseen maintenance problems meant the Matanuska was the only mainline ferry operating on the Alaska Marine Highway System. Now it was broken down, presenting more than an inconvenience... Communities already reeling from service cuts faced a month with next to no ferries at all. Grocers are struggling to keep their shelves stocked; a woman had her labor induced so she could catch the last ferry home. Ian Duncan reports. (Washington Post)

Why America Is Losing The Toilet Race
I just got back from my first trip to Japan, and I'm now in love with the country. The ramen, yakitori and sushi. The gorgeous volcanoes. The fascinating people and culture. But of all the things I fell in love with, there's one that I can't stop thinking about: the toilets. Japanese toilets are marvels of technological innovation. Greg Rosalsky reports. (NPR)

Grays Harbor Seaport to retire tall ship Hawaiian Chieftain and put her up for sale
The future of Grays Harbor Historical Seaport’s Hawaiian Chieftain is in serious doubt after Coast Guard inspectors discovered significant problems with the steel in her hull and bowsprit. The tall ship is forbidden from operating in her current condition. Brandi Bednarik, executive director of Grays Harbor Historical Seaport, which owns and operates the tall ships Lady Washington and the Hawaiian Chieftain, said the Seaport is going to put the Chieftain up for sale and focus its attention on the Lady Washington and developing Seaport Landing, the Aberdeen property it acquired from Weyerhaeuser on the south bank of the Chehalis River. Thorin Sprandel reports. (Aberdeen Daily World)


Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  258 AM PST Tue Feb 25 2020   
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  5 ft at 10 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning then rain in  the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  SE wind 5 to 15 kt easing to 10 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 10 seconds building to  8 ft at 14 seconds. A chance of rain in the evening.



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